- Some PDP Governors met on March 4
- Talking points: 2019 elections, Nyesom Wike’s actions
A report by Daily Trust indicates that some PDP governors are not happy with the attitude of Rivers state colleague, Nyesom Wike ahead of the 2019 general elections.
According to the report, the governors held a meeting on Sunday, March 4 at the Government House in Gombe, where they reportedly discussed “the excessive powers” being wielded by Governor Wike with a view to checkmating him.
Sources quoted in the report said the meeting which had some PDP governors and representatives of others in attendance, also witnessed the presence of some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
It was gathered that the PDP leaders discussed the probability of fielding Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe state as their presidential candidate, next year.
Wike or his representative, as well as the national chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, were conspicuously absent at the meeting, with sources saying the duo deliberately stayed away from the meeting because they were “the main subjects of discussion.”
Wike was widely reported to have worked for the emergence of Secondus as PDP national chairman, and since the December 2017 convention, he (Wike) had remained “very powerful in the PDP.”
This reportedly culminated in two party stalwarts, Professors Jerry Gana and Tunde Adeniran at the weekend defecting to the Social Democratic Party (SDP); and citing Governor Wike’s alleged overbearing influence as motivation for their departure.
Governors present at the meeting included Emmanuel Udom (Akwa Ibom), Benedict Ayade (Cross River), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Ayodele Fayose (Ekiti), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), Darius Ishaku (Taraba), Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe), and Rear Admiral John Jonah who represented Governor Henry Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa state.
The national secretary of the party, Umar Tsauri and the deputy national chairman (south), Elder Yomi Akinwumi were some of the NWC members that attended the meeting.
The PDP had zoned its presidential ticket to the north in 2015.
“The governors are actually looking inwards. They want one of their own as possible presidential candidate that would challenge President Muhammadu Buhari,” a source said.
Meanwhile, a former governor of Niger state, Babangida Aliyu, on Saturday, March 3, accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of being scared to hold its national convention.
Aliyu made the comment while addressing journalists after chieftains of the PDP in Niger East Senatorial District held a meeting at Paikoro in Niger state.
Aliyu said despite its challenges, the PDP had been able to hold its national convention, even as he challenged the APC to do the same.
Source: Naij
